Fro-yo craze is making an area comeback

Monday

Jun 29, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 29, 2009 at 7:02 AM

Gainesville's longtime infatuation with frozen yogurt once again appears on the upswing. The fro-yo shop Mochi opened May 6 just east of I-75 on Southwest Archer Road, not far from at Lollicup, another frozen yogurt shop on Southwest 34th Street.

By Gayane Margaryan

Gainesville's longtime infatuation with frozen yogurt once again appears on the upswing.The fro-yo shop Mochi opened May 6 just east of I-75 on Southwest Archer Road, not far from at Lollicup, another frozen yogurt shop on Southwest 34th Street.Yogaberry, a popular Jacksonville fro-yo shop, is going to open a shop across from Arby's on SW 13th Street. And then there's frozen-yogurt mainstay TCBY, which has been serving Gainesville for years at several locations.Customer traffic at Mochi, the newest shop to open in Gainesville, has been high, according to manager Jaci Portillo.Gainesville's health-conscious population is drawn to frozen yogurt establishments because the tart yogurt concoctions are typically a healthier alternative to ice cream treats.Experts recommend one cup of yogurt per day.Cynthia Sass, a registered dietician and the expert on www.bestlifeonline.com, touts yogurt's benefits as an immunity booster.Regular yogurt's benefits are well-known, and frozen yogurt has become a tastier way of gaining similar benefits.Mochi, located at 3841 S.W. Archer Road, serves original, strawberry, mango and taro yogurt flavors constantly, and four other flavors are switched every week."People come in because it's a non-fat, low-calorie [product]," Portillo said.

Mochi says its yogurt is non-fat and has 110 calories per four-ounce serving of its original yogurt flavor. Other flavors contain about 26 more calories.University of Florida student Mara Mulfeld frequents frozen yogurt shops, estimating that she eats fro-yo about twice a week."I eat whole grains and a lot of salads," said Mulfeld, 19. "I don't eat ice cream."Mulfeld says she likes the fresh fruit toppings and healthier contents of yogurt.Nam Diep, manager at Lollicup, a frozen yogurt shop at 3550 S.W. 34th St., believes customers come in because "they want something that's healthier or tastier than low-fat ice cream. We have a lot of people come in for health reasons. The yogurt's healthy."Lollicup says its yogurt contains 100 calories per four-ounce serving. The small-size cup holds about six ounces.Sales at Lollicup have increased since last year, Diep said.Diep said Lollicup's yogurt offers the full nutritional value and health benefits of plain yogurt.Frozen yogurt is also a good alternative for individuals who suffer from mild cases of lactose intolerance, Diep said."People who are lactose-intolerant can't digest the lactose in milk, and the culture in yogurt turns it into lactic acid," he said. "They go to get yogurt instead of ice cream."

Lollicup serves four flavors of yogurt; the original flavor is always served and the other three "sweet" flavors change about once a month.In addition to its popular yogurt, Lollicup serves a variety of herbal teas and boba drinks.Cheryl Holt, 33, a customer at TCBY at 3102 S.W. 34th St., said she doesn't feel as guilty after eating fro-yo as she does with ice cream."I feel good about giving it to them," she said of her two young children, who she said are a big part of the reason she chooses frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.Travis Clements, manager at TCBY, said people tell him they eat fro-yo because of its healthier properties "all the time.""[Customers] ask which ones are low in fat," he said. "Every single one is 96 percent fat-free."TCBY also serves completely non-fat flavors. On average, TCBY says its yogurts contain about 100 calories per four-ounce serving.Diep said the number of frozen yogurt establishments in Gainesville will double this year.